262. If you were wondering . . .

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271. The hazel harvest . . .

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Five years ago we planted 20 hazel saplings, the idea being to coppice several every year to provide useful (straight) sticks for the garden and to encourage new growth. They are growing well, and this year's harvest can be seen in the photos. Products include runner bean poles, pea sticks and pegs for tying down netting. Coppicing the hazel (a clean cut just above ground level) helps make the hazel grow much straighter poles. In the veg garden the rhubarb is starting to grow well, and for the first time we have forced some.
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282. Swarm control . . .

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On Sunday we inspected the bees and found some queen cells; they were capped which means a swarm is imminent. There are various options including doing nothing but that would mean you are likely to lose half of the bees when the old queen flies off with them. Another option is an artificial swarm, and after midnight discussions with Sarah, that's what I tried today. With one slight modification! We are unable to spot our Queen (v hard in 50 000+ bees when she is not marked) so rather than move the old queen as you are supposed I moved the queen cells. Before the move  ( empty WBC on left, full colony in National on right):- I placed a new brood box to the right of the old colony, then smoked the old colony like mad hoping to drive the old queen down to the bottom of the hive. Then took the super off the old colony and placed it to one side. Then took the half brood box (containing the queen cells) and put it on top of the new brood box to the right. Put its roof on. ...
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28. The bees...and John Terry...

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The beekeeper has been to visit, and together we inspected the hive. Good, and surprising news - the bees have survived the Farlands Winter (the hive was probably warmer, and certainly had less condensation than our house). There are about 30 000 of them, they are 'Queen-right' ie she survived and looks healthy. No obvious disease. The concern, however, is that she is not laying (it takes about three weeks from egg to new worker bee, so if this situation persist then we will not have an increasing population which is essential at this time of year). So, we fed them a fondant (like a malleable slab of Kendal Mint Cake), and will re-inspect them in a week or so. Meanwhile I have built a two-hive bee platform (in a slightly sunnier place). And I am moving the hive in stages towards it. Paradoxically, despite their oft-reported intelligence, bees get lost if they are moved more than three feet or so. So, the rule is move them '3 feet or 3 miles'. Other distances have to b...
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